Press Releases mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts Celebrate Minnesota-based Artists with Second Annual Field Day

After last year’s rousing success, Field Day returns with a fresh slate of free games, friendly competitions, artistic collaborations, and other activities celebrating Minnesota artists and arts supporters. Everyone is invited to join the fun after work, or better yet, take the day off. mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts present

mnartists.org Field Day

on Thursday, August 19, 2–9 pm at the Walker Art Center. The Minnesota artist community is invited to picnic on the Open Field grass, socialize with fellow artists, browse the wares at a local artist mart, create collective doodles and sketches with local artists at the Drawing Club, and challenge friends to a game of kickball, badminton, croquet, or camera tag. The night ends with old-fashioned acoustic sing-along concerts led by local musicians Holly Muñoz, the Roe Family Singers, and Velvet Davenport, and stories from some of Minnesota’s most entertaining writers, performers, and artists.

Everyone is welcome, and mnartists.org members receive free gallery admission all day.

MNARTISTS.ORG FIELD DAY AT THE WALKER

2–7 pm: Drawing Club

Open Lounge

Everyone is invited to Drawing Club, an ongoing project based in sharing, collaboration, and the social experience of art-making. Doodle and sketch with local artists and add to a pool of collectively created artworks. For this special session of Drawing Club we invite the public to join artist David Lefkowitz and the Manual Image Assemblers Local 47 to make their mark.

2–6 pm: Greenspace Games

Open Field and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Lawn games are back and expanded with something for everyone. Play croquet in the Sculpture Garden, join a pickup game of badminton, or register a team for Field Day’s second annual kickball tournament. All ages and skills are welcome. Teams register at the Field Day information tent starting at 2 pm the day of the event.

2–6 pm: Plein Air Garden Party

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

We invite local plein air painters of all styles and abilities to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to paint versions of the iconic artwork and skyline. Bring your own easels and supplies and join the party.

3–6 pm: Capture Flash / Camera Tag

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and FlatPak House

Challenge your speed and stealth capabilities with a high-tech version of tag using digital cameras, devised by local artist Ben Garthus.

4–6 pm: The Genesis

Open Lounge

Invoking the spirit of the beginnings of Hip Hop culture, the audience is invited to interact with D.J. mal— who will be continuously spinning and cutting up various musical selections live. The audience is invited to step up to the microphone, and/or get on the dance floor, and add their own voice to the beats.

6–8 pm: Rockstar Storytellers

Open Lounge

Raise a drink after work and listen as some of Minnesota’s most entertaining writers, performers and artists tell stories under the canopy of trees in the Open Lounge.

6–8 pm: CSA Pickup

Open Lounge

Over the last 20 years the CSA or “farm share” model, has become a popular way for consumers to buy seasonal food directly from local farms. With the same buy-local spirit in mind, mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts created Community Supported Art (CSA), a similar endeavor to support local art, artists, and collectors by paying local artists to create new work and introduce them to new patrons. Meet the artists and organizers of the CSA program as the last “shares” are picked up for the summer season.

8:30–10 pm: Campfire Concerts

Open Field, Open Lounge, and James Turrell’s Sky Pesher 2005

Join with local musicians Holley Muñoz, the Roe Family Singers, and Velvet Davenport as they perform in intimate settings around the Walker campus for old-fashioned acoustic sing-along concerts.

2–7 pm: Local Art Mart

Cargill Lounge

From book artists and jewelers to t-shirt designers and printmakers, browse unique offerings from local artists, organized by the Walker Shop.

2–8 pm: MN Original

Bazinet Lobby and Open Field

The team from TPT’s new television series MN Original will be on hand interviewing participants and screening episodes throughout the day.

11 am–9 pm: Garden Grill by Wolfgang Puck

Open Lounge

Cool off and recharge with food and drinks from the Garden Grill available throughout the day and evening.

Share Your Field Day Experience:

Twitter #MNFIELDDAY
Facebook.com/mnartists.org

mnartists.org

The mission of mnartists.org is to improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide access to and engagement with Minnesota’s arts culture. mnartists.org is an online database of Minnesota artists and organizations from all disciplines. It offers Minnesota-based artists a central gathering place, marketplace, and community hub on the Web. It offers the public a new way to explore art and get to know artists. In addition to providing artists and organizations with a Web page containing images and information, mnartists.org provides news and features about the local arts scene from a variety of sources. mnartists.org was developed as the result of a survey of Minnesota artists conducted by The McKnight Foundation, which revealed the survival struggles of individual artists. The McKnight Foundation partnered with the Walker Art Center’s New Media Initiatives group to develop mnartists.org.

mnartists.org Field Day at the Walker, August 19, 2010

The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences.